VADEMECUM

1. VADEMECUM Improving housing conditions for marginalized communities, including Roma in Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Hungary, Romania and Slovakia through the absorption of ERDF Metropolitan Research Institute

2. Structure of the Presentation • The report: work in progress • The context • Main findings • Recommendations • Local level • National level • EU level Metropolitan Research Institute

3. The Report: Work in progress • Goal: • Map what is needed to absorb ERDF funding for housing of Roma and marginalised groups • Map housing situation • Map practice in the field • Make relevant recommendations for each level • Data compilation phase: June 2010 – January 2011 • Methodology: field visits, document analysis, meetings with MAs, NGOs, line ministries • WORK IN PROGRESS – finalisation based on the inputs / comments of the WS participants by mid February • 2 Volumes: Volume 1: VADEMECUM Volume 2: Background information Metropolitan Research Institute

4. The Context • Unseen reproduction of poverty • Children grow up among inhuman living conditions with parents who since generations have not experienced valued labour and regular income • Non-effective public policies for tackling such a complex issue • Lack of access to labour, low or unfinished education, bad health conditions and severe living conditions reinforce each other • Result of complex processes • Losing jobs – affordable housing available in declining areas – concentration of poverty as better-off / who still have a chance to work move away – downward spiral Metropolitan Research Institute

5. The Context (cont.) • Dilapidation of living conditions • Challenges of local service delivery (many times is the last resort for marginalized groups) • Constraints in public finance, • Fragmented local governance structures, • Expensive energy costs. • Lack of contacts, social and cultural capital compared to mainstream society. • Individual ways of upward mobility are challenged • No role models, • Increasing discrimination. • Macro problem manifesting at local level BUT insufficient capacities at local level: national level has to enable, motivate / force and support local governments to act Metropolitan Research Institute

6. Main findings • Illegal housing is a core issue • Diversity of settlements/MRCs within and among countries (size, location, processes) • Approaches to MRCs: • different targeting techniques • useful examples at local level: integrated projects • attempts to include target group in planning • Huge portfolio of available housing interventions and program designs in MtM countries Metropolitan Research Institute

7. Recommendations – local level • Use urban/ micro regional development plans • covering not only the action areas but the whole city / micro region as well, • the desegregation related mobilization should geographically target the integrated residential parts of the whole city / micro-region. • Apply integrated approach combining housing, environment, social, employment, education, health, security and community development measures • Projects based interventions should be linked to mainstream services • Legalise existing housing of marginalized communities • Access to funds • Control further segregation processes • Draw on participatory, community based planning to ensure developing real choices • Combine diverse housing interventions • Different challenges and different social and financial abilities • Assisted and SECURE interventions • Soft measures should be launched well in advance to housing intervention • Plan long term programs (at least 10 years) Metropolitan Research Institute

8. Recommendations – national level • Implement pilot projects • models and projects should be prepared for implementation in next period. • Define marginalised communities • definition of indicators and their benchmarks • serve transparency • Produce strict and enforceable methodological guidelines for planning and program contents • Support planning and implementation via responsible intermediary organizations • Monitor continuously to enforce basic principles of de-segregation, integration and participation. • A basic conditionality towards municipality should be defined by the national state in order to develop concrete interventions for MRCs. • Harmonize different kinds of funds (EU, national, local and other) • in order to channel sufficient amount of resources to MRCs for a longer period of time. Metropolitan Research Institute

9. Recommendations – EU level issues • Mono-funding approach is not applicable to reach the optimal level of complexity. • It should be considered to establish an OP covering all activities within an integrated approach. • Support legalising of existing housing of marginalized communities • It is a condition for getting funding – still a time-consuming and expensive intervention • Define the concept of desegregation by setting up related minimum requirements. • Suggest conditionality related regulation in the Member States • making available funds for local governments only if they also implement MRCs related projects / mainstreaming MRC related issues. Metropolitan Research Institute

10. Thank you for your attention. Metropolitan Research Institute